Egg case



R. GUYER EGG CASE Feb. l5, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan. 2. 1951 l Reynolds Gac/er' jg BY 3100i l TTORNEY R. GUYER EGG 1cAsE Feb. 15, 1955 l Filed Jan. 2, 1951 s sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR 7 Reynolds. `Guyer' VBY )BU ORNEY 4 Cl (Cl. 229-15) My inventionl relates to an improvement in egg case wherein it is desired to provide a case which may be shipped in tiat condition and quickly set up for use.

'lhe use of egg cases formed of paper board or corrugated paper board has increased considerably in recent years. One of thebiggest diiculties in the sale of these cases lies in the work necessary to set up the cases by the consumer. lf the cases are to be. shipped in at condition, stitching orv gluing is usually necessary in order to complete the case. The consumer does not always have the necessary equipment for this work.

A feature of the present invention lies in the provision of an egg case which is partially assembled by the manufacturer and which may be shipped in collapsed form. when the case is to be used, it may be erected with. a minimum of diiculty and without the use of special equipment.

A feature of the present invention lies in the provision of an .egg case having an outer shell which includes four rectangularly arranged side walls and a bottom wall. Two opposed side walls and the bottom wall are folded intermediate their ends so that the outer shell may be collapsed into a at shape. An inner reinforcing bottom panel and foldable top panels are formed of a single strip of paper board which may also be shipped in hat state and folded to form `the means of reinforcing the case and of closing the top thereof. When the two parts are assembled the inner member holds the outer shell from collapse, thereby preventing the bottom from coming out of place.

A feature of the present invention lies in the provision of a partition forming member which may be slidably engaged with the outer shell to form a central partition between two compartments of eggs. The cover is provided with closing flaps which tuck on either side of the center position to hold the cover closed.

An added feature of the present invention lies in the provision of a simple economical case which may be assembled in a simple manner and shipped in partially assembled shape. The walls of the outer shell are connected together in tubular form in a unique manner without the use of a stitch lap or securing tape.

These and other objects and novel features of my invention rwill be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims.

ln the drawings forming a part of my specification:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the case in closed condition.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section throughthe case showing the arrangement of the parts therein.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the outer shell in readiness for assembly.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a second portion of the outer shell which is connected to the structure shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the inner reinforcing and cover member.

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view of the blank of which the partition forming member is formed.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the partition member in readiness for use.

Figure 8 shows the outer shell of the case in fiat condition for storage or shipping.

Figure 9 is a sectional view through the shell in partly opened position, the position of the section being indicated by the line 9--9 of Figure 8.

shell construction. t

Figure l1 is a perspective view of the and cover .Y

ing member used in conjunction with the shell element of Figure 10. Y

Figure 12 is a longitudinal section through the modified torm of case showing the construction thereof.

The case A is preferably formed of a series of parte assembled together. Figures 3 and 4 illustrate the outer shell forming elements All and 11 respectively. ligure 5 shows the inner reinforcing and covering member 12. Figures 6 and 7 illustrate the partition'vforming member 13. These elements when combined as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings form the case A. The outer shell portion 10 includes side walls 14 and 15 and parallel end walls 16 and 17. These various walls are connected together along parallel lines of fold to form a tubular body. The wall panel -14 is formed of two panels 19 and 20 abutting along the line 21. The upper edges of the wall panels are provided with projecting naps. lhese aps are connected to the various walls along a continuous line of fold 22. The side wall 14 is provided with apair of g spaced tiaps 23 and 24 separated by a notch Z5. The wall 15 is similarly provided with a/ pair of spaced iaps 26 and 27 spaced by a central'notch 29. The end walls 16 and117 are provided with hinged laps 30 and 31 respective y. y

The end walls 16 and 17 are provided centrally with vertical fold lines 32 and 33 which extend the full height of the end walls and also the closure aps .30 and 31. As a result the shell structure thus described may be folded along the fold lines 32 and 33 into the at form illustrated in Figure 8 of the drawings. The end walls are also provided with hand holes 34 and 35 by means of which the case may be lifted and carried.

The second shell portion 11 is constructed as best illustrated in Figure 4 of the drawings. AThis shell includes a bottom panel 36 which is provided with a longitudinally.

. connected to the bottom panel along the fold line 39. A

similar pair of wall panels 43 and 44 are connected to the bottom panel 11 along the fold line 40. The panels 41 and 42 are spaced by a central slot 45. The wall panels 43 and 44 are likewise separated by a slot 46. The upper corners of the various wall panels may be provided with diagonally extending fold lines 47 if desired so that triangular portions of all of the wall panels at the top of the slots 45 and 46 may be swung out of the plane of the remainder of these panels.

The liner and covering member 12 includes a bottom panel @connected along parallel fold lines 50 and 51 to end wall panels 52 and 53. The panels 52 and 53 are connected along hinged fold lines 54 and 55 to top cover panels 56 and 57. These cover panels 56 and 57 are connected along parallel fold lines 59 and 60 to tuck aps 61 and 62. The end walls 52 and 53 are provided with hand holes 63 and 64 respectively which are arranged to register with the hand holes 34 and 35 of the outer shell member 10 when the case is assembled.

l AThe partition forming member 13 includes a pair of partition walls 65 and 66 connected along a central fold line 67. These panels 65 and 66 are connected along parallel fold lines 69 and l70 to anchoring flaps. The panel 65 is connected by these fold lines to anchoring tiaps 71 and 72. The panel 66 is connected along these same fold lines to anchoring aps 73 and 74.

In assembling the case thus formed, glue is first applied the corresponding wall 15 of the shell portion 10. The

adhesive 1s applied on areas of these wall panels spaced from the slot 46 but no adhesive is applied near this slot so that the panels 43 and 44 will be free from the wall 15 near this slot. r

Adhesive is applied to areas of the wall panels 41 and 42 as indicated in Figure 4. These areas are spaced from the slot 45 so that the wall panels will be free of the shell panel 14 in assembled condition of the shell. It will be noted that the area of adhesive on the wall panel 4l ex- :mogul tends dn both sides of the line 21 between' the separate anels 19 and 20 of the shell wall 14. Thus the rectanguarly-arranged walls of the shell 10 are held in connected relation by adherence to the wall panel 41 of the shell portion 11.

With the -shell portion 11 folded along its center fold line 37, the shell portion 10 is foldedalong its center fold lines 32 and 33 so as to overlie the wall panels 41 and 42 and be adhered thereto. When this structure is complete, the shell of the case is in readiness for use.

The cases areshipped iiat in three separate parts. The other shells are shipped in the condition illustrated in Figure 8. The partition and cover forming members 12 are shipped at and the partition members 13 are formed tlat as in Figure 6. When it is desired to assemble the case, the outer shell is folded into the rectangular shape indicated in Figure 3 of the drawings, the bottom panel 36 folding at and the end panels folding into parallel relation. The member 12 is next inserted into the c'ase. The end walls 52 and 53 lie inwardly of the shell end walls 16 and 17 and hold these shell walls in parallel relationship. The iiaps 30 and 31 are preferably folded inwardly' of the end walls 16 and 17 to which they are attached as indicated in Figure 2 Aof the drawings to form a reinforcement for the upper portion of the case. l

With the cover panels 56 and 57 of the liner 12 in upwardly pivoted position the partition 13 is inserted into place. The partition is tirst folded into the form illustratedin Figure 7 and the various anchor aps are then inserted between the panels 41, 42, 43, and 44 of the shell forming member 11 and the outer walls 14 and 15 of the shell forming portion 10. The case is now in readiness for use. A

When the portions of the case on both sides of the partition 13 are filled with eggs, the closing a'ps 23, 24, 26 and 27 are folded downwardly into co-planer relationship. The cover panels 56 and 57 of the liner 12 are next folded down to overlie these vclosure aps. The flaps 61 and 62 may then tuck between the particu-panels 65 and 66 or, if preferred, the partition may be inverted and the cover panels may be inserted on either side of the partition.

In Figures l0, ll and 12 of the drawings I disclosea modified form of construction which is very similar to that previously described. In the form of construction illustrated in these figures, a shell forming portion 75 is substituted for the shell forming portion 11 previously described. Also a liner and cover member 76 is used in place of the similar member 12. The otherl parts 10 and 13 of the case remain identical to the structures illustrated in Figures 3. 6, and 7 and accordingly these parts of the case are identified by similar numerals.

The shell forming portion 75 includes a bottom panel 77 which is centrally folded along a longitudinal fold line 79. The ends of the bottom panel 77 are notched as indicated in Figure l to provide central projecting tongues 80 and 81. In the construction illustrated triangular notches 82 are provided in each end of the bottom panel on opposite sides of the center line, the notches being spaced to provide projecting tongues 80 and 8l. Ifl preferred the tongues 80 and 81 may be formed by cut lines extending longitudinally of the case on either side of the center line.

The bottom panel 77 is connected along a fold line 83 to a pair of wall panels 84 and 85 spaced by a central slot 86. The bottom-panel 77 is also connected along the fold line 87 to a pair of wall panels 89 and 90 spaced by a central slot 91. These walls are identical with the corresponding walls of the shell portion 11 as will be obvious from a comparison of Figures 4 and 10.

The shell portion 75 is connected to the shell portion in the manner previously described in conjunction with the shell portion 11. The various wall panels of the unit 75 are adhered or stitched to-the walls 14 and 15 of the shell portion 10, the areas of adhesive being spaced from the slots 86 and 91 to accommodate the anchoring tianges of the partition unit 13. The shell thus formed folds into dat condition much in the manner illustrated in Figure8 of the drawings.

The liner and cover member 76 differs only from the previously described member 12 in that the bottom panel 92 of the unit 76- is provided with a pair of spaced slots 93 and 94 extending transversely of this bottom panel. 'l'he other walls, cover flaps, tuck aps and hand holes the following are identical to those-previously described in conjunction with the unit 12.

The case B thus formed is shipped similarly to the case A previously described. However, in the assembly of the liner 76 into the outer shell, the aps 80 and 81 are bent upwardly to extend through the slots 93 and 94. The tabs then overlie the upper surface of the panel 92 in the manner shown in Figure l2 of the drawings. Thus the bottom panels are held in continuous contacting relation by inter-engagement of the bottom panels of the shell and liner.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operationof my egg case, and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that obvious changes may be made within the scope of claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

\l. An egg case comprising an outer shell having rectangularly arranged opposed side walls,v opposed end walls and a bottom panel with side walls attached thereto and serving as a partial liner within said outer shell, the said bottom panel being connected between the two opposed side walls of said outer shell by its said side walls which form the partial liner, the said bottom panel and the said opposed end walls having ceterfold lines along which the shell may fold into at form, another partial liner section which covers the center fold lines in the said bottom panel and the said opposed end walls of said outer shell with said partial liner section being engagable within said shell in set up condition thereof, said last named partial liner including a at bottom liner portion which lies between said side walls serving as a partial liner within said outer shell, and end wall liner portions connected to said bottom liner portion and serving therewith to hold the said bottom panel and opposed end walls of the said shell from folding along said center fold lines.

2. An egg case comprising parallel side walls and parallel end walls connected by folding lines and forming a shell, said end walls having a center fold line extending therethrough intermediate the fold' lines connecting the end walls to the side walls, a bottom unit having pairs of spaced side wall panels forming liners for said parallel side walls and a fiat bottom panel centrally foldable between its side edges and outwardly foldable from its said pairs of side wall panels which are designed to extend inwardly of, and be adhered to, the inner side of the first said parallel side walls of the formed shell, a partial liner section lying inwardly of the lsaid center fold lines of said end walls between said pairs of side wall panels and on said at bottom panel to hold the same from folding, and the partial liner section having extended end wall panels foldably connected thereto and forming coverings inscrtible into said egg case to enclose the said shell and liner sections.

3. An egg casecomprising an outer shell unit including rectangularly arranged side walls and opposed end walls foldably connected together at edge fold lines, said end walls having additional fold lines therethrough intermediate the edge fold lines connecting the end opposed walls to the said side walls, a bottom forming unit having a iiat bottom panel provided with a centerline of fold between the sides thereof, pairs of side wall panels hingedly connected to said side edges of said bottom panel, said pairs of said side wall panels being slotted intermediate their ends, securing means connecting the side pairs of side Walls of the bottom forming unit inwardly of the said side walls of said outer shell unit and forming a partial liner therefor, an additional partial liner having a flat bottom liner portion extending between said side walls to cover the said fiat bottom panel of the said bottom forming unit, and end panels connected to said dat bottom portion covering the full width of the said end `(References on following page) 8 Refmleeeclulintheleofihispom UNITBDSTATES PATENTS Brown Sept. 4, 1909 Bliss July 8. 1930 Sherman Oct. 11, 1932 Lupton Aug. 28, 1934 Koppleman et a1. Aug. 20, 1935 Holy Dec. 21, 1943v Ferguson t. 16. 1947 Newsom uly 5, 1949 George Apr. 24. 1951 Reeser May 27 1952 

